Encoding and decoding data in two-dimensional symbology

ABSTRACT

Examples of techniques for encoding data in a 2D symbology are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method includes assigning a first data symbol representative of a 0-bit and a second data symbol representative of a 1-bit, each of the first data symbol and the second data symbol include a line segment. The method further includes designating a starting indicator and an ending indicator. The method also includes generating, by a processing device, the 2D symbology. The 2D symbology includes a series of data symbols representing a binary string. Each data symbol in the series of data symbols are positioned in an end-to-end orientation starting at the starting indicator and ending at the ending indicator. The series of data symbols include 0-bit symbols represented by the first data symbol and 1-bit symbols represented by the second data symbol.

DOMESTIC PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/967,510, entitled “ENCODING AND DECODING DATA IN TWO-DIMENSIONALSYMBOLOGY,” filed Dec. 14, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporatedby reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to two-dimensional (2D) symbology, andmore particularly, relates to techniques for encoding and decoding datain two-dimensional symbology.

A 2D symbology is a two-dimensional representation of information. A 2Dsymbology (e.g., Data Matrix codes) can be read by an imaging device(such as a camera, scanner, etc.) and information contained within the2D symbology can be decoded. Some current 2D symbologies encode datathat is readable and decodable by processing systems but most existing2D symbologies are not able to convey useful information to a humanwithout being decoded by the processing system. In addition, somecurrent 2D symbologies have rigid spatial, size, orientation, and/orlayout requirements, providing little flexibility in their presentation.Examples of some existing 2D symbologies include Data Matrix codes,Quick Response (QR) codes, Aztec codes, Semacodes, PDF417 codes, andvarious other matrix codes.

SUMMARY

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, acomputer-implemented method for encoding data in a 2D symbology isprovided. The method comprises assigning a first data symbolrepresentative of a 0-bit and a second data symbol representative of a1-bit, each of the first data symbol and the second data symbolcomprising a line segment. The method further comprises designating astarting indicator and an ending indicator. The method also comprisesgenerating, by a processing device, the 2D symbology. The 2D symbologycomprising a series of data symbols representing a binary string. Eachdata symbol in the series of data symbols are positioned in anend-to-end orientation starting at the starting indicator and ending atthe ending indicator. The series of data symbols comprise 0-bit symbolsrepresented by the first data symbol and 1-bit symbols represented bythe second data symbol.

In accordance with additional aspects of the present disclosure, asystem for encoding data in a 2D symbology is provided. The systemcomprises a processor in communication with one or more types of memory.The processor is configured to assign a first data symbol representativeof a 0-bit and a second data symbol representative of a 1-bit, each ofthe first data symbol and the second data symbol comprising a linesegment. The processor is further configured to designate a startingindicator and an ending indicator. The processor is also configured togenerate the 2D symbology, the 2D symbology comprising a series of datasymbols representing a binary string, wherein each data symbol in theseries of data symbols are positioned in an end-to-end orientationstarting at the starting indicator and ending at the ending indicator,and wherein the series of data symbols comprise 0-bit symbolsrepresented by the first data symbol and 1-bit symbols represented bythe second data symbol.

In accordance with yet additional aspects of the present disclosure, acomputer program product for encoding data in a 2D symbology isprovided. The computer program product comprises a non-transitorystorage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructionsfor execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. Themethod comprises assigning a first data symbol representative of a 0-bitand a second data symbol representative of a 1-bit, each of the firstdata symbol and the second data symbol comprising a line segment. Themethod further comprises designating a starting indicator and an endingindicator. The method also comprises generating the 2D symbology. The 2Dsymbology comprising a series of data symbols representing a binarystring. Each data symbol in the series of data symbols are positioned inan end-to-end orientation starting at the starting indicator and endingat the ending indicator. The series of data symbols comprise 0-bitsymbols represented by the first data symbol and 1-bit symbolsrepresented by the second data symbol.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularlypointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion ofthe specification. The forgoing and other features, and advantagesthereof, are apparent from the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a processing system forimplementing the techniques described herein according to examples ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a processing system for encoding data intwo-dimensional symbology according to examples of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a processing system for decoding data intwo-dimensional symbology according to examples of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a two-dimensional symbology according to examples ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for encoding data intwo-dimensional symbology according to examples of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for decoding data intwo-dimensional symbology according to examples of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a cloud computing environment according to examplesof the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 illustrates abstraction model layers according to examples of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various implementations are described below by referring to severalexamples of encoding and decoding data in two-dimensional (2D)symbologies. To encode and decode data in a 2D symbology, the presenttechniques utilize data symbols to represent bits of a binary string. Inexamples, the data symbols are a circle on a line segment. An emptycircle on a line segment may represent a 0-bit and a solid circle on aline segment may represent a 1-bit. The data symbols are placed in anend-to-end orientation to form line in a sequence corresponding to thebits of the binary string. The line begins at a starting indicator andends at an ending indicator and may be of any suitable shape and length.In examples, the line is segmented into segments, and connector pairsare used to indicate the sequence. Other types of indicators (i.e.,operational symbols) may be implemented within a sequence of data bitsin a segment to provide logical and/or mathematical functionality to thesegment.

In some implementations, the present techniques enable 2D symbology tobe flexible in terms of spatial, size, orientation, and/or layoutspecifications. Moreover, the present techniques may enable a 2Dsymbology to be human-recognizable (e.g., text, a logo, a symbol, etc.).These and other advantages will be apparent from the description thatfollows.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a processing system 100 forimplementing the techniques described herein. In examples, theprocessing system 100 has one or more central processing units(processors) 101 a, 101 b, 101 c, etc. (collectively or genericallyreferred to as processor(s) 101). In aspects of the present disclosure,each processor 101 may include a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)microprocessor. Processors 101 are coupled to system memory (e.g.,random access memory (RAM) 114 and various other components via a systembus 113. Read only memory (ROM) 102 is coupled to the system bus 113 andmay include a basic input/output system (BIOS), which controls certainbasic functions of the processing system 100.

FIG. 1 further illustrates an input/output (I/O) adapter 107 and acommunications adapter 106 coupled to the system bus 113. I/O adapter107 may be a small computer system interface (SCSI) adapter thatcommunicates with a hard disk 103 and/or tape storage drive 105 or anyother similar component. I/O adapter 107, hard disk 103, and tapestorage device 105 are collectively referred to herein as mass storage104. Operating system 120 for execution on the processing system 100 maybe stored in mass storage 104. A network adapter 106 interconnects bus113 with an outside network 116 enabling the processing system 100 tocommunicate with other such systems.

A screen (e.g., a display monitor) 115 is connected to system bus 113 bydisplay adaptor 112, which may include a graphics adapter to improve theperformance of graphics intensive applications and a video controller.In one aspect of the present disclosure, adapters 106, 107, and 112 maybe connected to one or more I/O busses that are connected to system bus113 via an intermediate bus bridge (not shown). Suitable I/O buses forconnecting peripheral devices such as hard disk controllers, networkadapters, and graphics adapters typically include common protocols, suchas the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI). Additional input/outputdevices are shown as connected to system bus 113 via user interfaceadapter 108 and display adapter 112. A keyboard 109, mouse 110, andspeaker 111 all interconnected to bus 113 via user interface adapter108, which may include, for example, a Super I/O chip integratingmultiple device adapters into a single integrated circuit.

In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processing system 100includes a graphics processing unit 130. Graphics processing unit 130 isa specialized electronic circuit designed to manipulate and alter memoryto accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended foroutput to a display. In general, graphics processing unit 130 is veryefficient at manipulating computer graphics and image processing, andhas a highly parallel structure that makes it more effective thangeneral-purpose CPUs for algorithms where processing of large blocks ofdata is done in parallel.

Thus, as configured in FIG. 1, the processing system 100 includesprocessing capability in the form of processors 101, storage capabilityincluding system memory 114 and mass storage 104, input means such askeyboard 109 and mouse 110, and output capability including speaker 111and display 115. In some aspects of the present disclosure, a portion ofsystem memory 114 and mass storage 104 collectively store an operatingsystem such as the AIX® operating system from IBM Corporation tocoordinate the functions of the various components shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates a processing system 200 for encoding data intwo-dimensional symbology according to examples of the presentdisclosure. The various components, modules, engines, etc. describedregarding FIG. 2 may be implemented as instructions stored on acomputer-readable storage medium, as hardware modules, asspecial-purpose hardware (e.g., application specific hardware,application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), as embeddedcontrollers, hardwired circuitry, etc.), or as some combination orcombinations of these. In examples, the engine(s) described herein maybe a combination of hardware and programming. The programming may beprocessor executable instructions stored on a tangible memory, and thehardware may include processors 101 for executing those instructions.Thus system memory 114 of FIG. 1 can be said to store programinstructions that when executed by the processors 101 implement theengines described herein. Other engines may also be utilized to includeother features and functionality described in other examples herein.

Processing system 200 may include a processor 201, an encoding engine202, and a printing device 204. Alternatively or additionally, theprocessing system 200 may include dedicated hardware, such as one ormore integrated circuits, Application Specific Integrated Circuits(ASICs), Application Specific Special Processors (ASSPs), FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), or any combination of the foregoingexamples of dedicated hardware, for performing the techniques describedherein.

Encoding engine 202 enables processing system 200 to encode data into a2D symbology by assigning a first data symbol to represent a 0-bit of abinary string and a second data symbol to represent a 1-bit of thebinary string. In examples, the first data symbol representative of a0-bit is an empty circle on a line segment, and the second data symbolrepresentative of a 1-bit is a solid circle on a line segment. In otherexamples, other shapes or symbols may be used, such as a triangle,square, oval, hexagon, etc.

Encoding engine 202 also designates a starting indicator and an endingindicator. The starting indicator may be any suitable symbol, such as anarrow, a geometric shape, or other suitable symbol. The ending indicatorcomprises a symbol different from the starting indicator. In an example,as illustrated in FIG. 4, an up arrow may be designated as the startingindicator and a down arrow may be designated as the ending indicator.Other configurations of starting indicators and ending indicators may beutilized.

Encoding engine 202 generates the 2D symbology, which comprises a seriesof data symbols representing a binary string. The series of data symbolsare positioned in an end-to-end orientation such that an end of a linesegment of one data symbol joins an end of a line segment of anotherdata symbol. The series of data symbols start at the starting indicatorand end at the ending indicator. The series of data symbols comprise0-bit symbols represented by the first data symbol and 1-bit symbolsrepresented by the second data symbol.

Printing device 204 prints the 2D symbology generated by encoding engine202. For example printing device 204 may be a printer or other imagecreation device configured to print or otherwise display the 2Dsymbology. In examples, printing device 204 is a printer configured toprint the 2D symbology on a physical medium such as paper. In otherexamples, printing device 204 is an electronic display configured todisplay the 2D symbology electronically.

FIG. 3 illustrates a processing system 300 for decoding data intwo-dimensional symbology according to examples of the presentdisclosure. The various components, modules, engines, etc. describedregarding FIG. 3 may be implemented as instructions stored on acomputer-readable storage medium, as hardware modules, asspecial-purpose hardware (e.g., application specific hardware,application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), as embeddedcontrollers, hardwired circuitry, etc.), or as some combination orcombinations of these. In examples, the engine(s) described herein maybe a combination of hardware and programming. The programming may beprocessor executable instructions stored on a tangible memory, and thehardware may include processors 101 for executing those instructions.Thus system memory 114 of FIG. 1 can be said to store programinstructions that when executed by the processors 101 implement theengines described herein. Other engines may also be utilized to includeother features and functionality described in other examples herein.

Processing system 300 may include a processor 301, an imaging device302, and a decoding engine 304. Alternatively or additionally, theprocessing system 300 may include dedicated hardware, such as one ormore integrated circuits, Application Specific Integrated Circuits(ASICs), Application Specific Special Processors (ASSPs), FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), or any combination of the foregoingexamples of dedicated hardware, for performing the techniques describedherein.

Imaging device 302 captures an image of a 2D symbology. The 2D symbologycomprises a series of data symbols representing a binary string startingwith a starting indicator and ending with an ending indicator. Theseries of data symbols comprise first data symbols representing a 0-bitand second data symbols representing a 1-bit. The data symbols comprisea line segment. The series of data symbols are positioned in anend-to-end orientation starting at a starting indicator and ending at anending indicator. In examples, the imaging device 302 is a camera,scanner, or other device configured to capture an image, such as of a 2Dsymbology.

Decoding engine 304 recognizes the starting indicator and the endingindicator. The various examples of starting and ending indicators aredisclosed herein.

Decoding engine 304 then extracts the binary string from the 2Dsymbology by reading each of the data symbols between the startingindicator and the ending indicator. In examples, once the startingindicator is recognized, the 2D symbology may be read by decoding engine304. In particular, decoding engine 304 reads each of the data symbolsafter the starting indicator until decoding engine 304 reaches theending indicator.

FIG. 4 illustrates a two-dimensional symbology 400 according to examplesof the present disclosure. Starting indicator 420 (e.g., an empty arrow)indicates the start of the 2D symbology 400. Each of the data symbolsfollowing starting indicator 420 represent bits of a binary string. Inthe present example of FIG. 4, the 2D symbology 400 starts at startingindicator 420 and ends at ending indicator 422 (e.g., a solid arrow). Inexamples, a first data symbol representative of a 0-bit is an emptycircle on a line segment, and a second data symbol representative of a1-bit is a solid circle on a line segment. In other examples, othershapes or symbols may be used, such as a triangle, square, oval,hexagon, etc. and the line of the data symbol can vary in length andshape.

In the present example, 2D symbology 400 is broken into five segmentsusing connector pairs. A connector pair comprises two connector symbolswhich indicate the ending of one segment and the start of the nextsegment. Connector symbols of a connector pair share a common symbol.For example, connector symbol 430 (a triangle) indicates the end of onesegment and connector symbol 431 (also a triangle) indicates the startof the next segment. Similarly, connector symbol 436 (a pentagon)indicates the end of one segment and connector symbol 437 (also apentagon) indicates the start of the next segment. In this way, 2Dsymbology 400 can be encoded in segments and the segments can be decodedand pieced back together in order based on the connector pairs. Thisenables the segments to be non-contiguous.

In the example of 2D symbology 400 of FIG. 4, the first segment startsat starting indicator 420 and ends at connector symbol 430. The secondsegment starts at connector symbol 431 and ends at connector symbol 432.The third segment starts at connector symbol 433 and ends at connectorsymbol 434. The fourth segment starts at connector symbol 435 and endsat connector symbol 436. The fifth segment starts at connector symbol437 and ends at ending indicator 422.

The first segment of 2D symbology 400, starting at starting indicator420, includes three data symbols: data symbol 401 represents a 0-bit,data symbol 402 represents a 1-bit, and data symbol 403 represents a0-bit. Connector 430 indicates the end of segment. The first segmentends at connector 430. In this example, the first segment represents thebinary string (or portion of a binary string) 010.

The second segment of 2D symbology 400, starting at connector symbol431, includes four data symbols: data symbol 404 represents a 1-bit,data symbol 405 represents a 1-bit, data symbol 406 represents a 0-bit,and data symbol 407 represents a 1-bit. Connector 432 indicates the endof segment. The second segment ends at connector 432. In this example,the second segment represents the following portion of the binarystring: 1101. In the example illustrated in FIG. 4, the second segmentof 2D symbology 400 includes an operational symbol 440. An operationalsymbol may indicate a logical functions and operations to be performedwhen the binary string is decoded. For example, an operational symbolmay indicate that an XOR operation, an AND operation, a NOR operation,or any other suitable operation is to be performed. Additionally, theoperational symbol may indicate that a mathematical operation, such asaddition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division be performed. Inthe present example, operational symbol 440 represents an AND logicaloperation. In this case, an AND operation is performed on the first twodata symbols (i.e., data symbols 404, 405) of the second segment whichrepresent 1-1 and the second two data symbols (i.e., data symbols 406,407) which represent 0-1. The result of the AND operation is 1-1,meaning that the second segment has a value of 1-1.

The third segment of 2D symbology 400, starting at connector symbol 433,includes four data symbols: data symbol 408 represents a 1-bit, datasymbol 409 represents a 0-bit, data symbol 410 represents a 1-bit, anddata symbol 411 represents a 0-bit. Connector 434 indicates the end ofsegment. The third segment ends at connector 434. In this example, thethird segment represents the following portion of the binary string:1010.

The fourth segment of 2D symbology 400 starts at connector symbol 435and has data symbol 412 representing a 0-bit. The fourth segmentcontinues along the remaining data symbols and ends at connector 436,which indicates the end of the fourth segment. In this example, thefourth segment represents the following portion of the binary string.

The fifth segment of 2D symbology 400 starts at connector symbol 437 andhas data symbol 413 representing a 0-bit. The fifth segment continuesalong the remaining data symbols through data symbol 499 representing a1-bit. The fifth segment ends at ending indicator 422, which indicatesthe end of the fifth segment and the end of the 2D symbology 400. Inthis example, the fifth segment represents the following portion of thebinary string: 0001100101011.

Taken together, the first, second, third, fourth and fifth segmentsrepresent the binary string 010 1101 1010 011010100101011 0001100101011.In examples, a decoding processing system (e.g., processing system 300of FIG. 3) may know that the segments are to be decoded in an orderdifferent than that indicated within the 2D symbology. For example, thedecoding processing device may process the segments in the followingorder: second segment, third segment, fifth segment, first segment, andfourth segment. In this example, the binary string is: 1101 10100001100101011 010 011010100101011.

In additional examples, a loop symbol 450 may be designated that signalsto repeat a certain segment or partial segment when being decoded. Forexample, loop symbol 450 may cause a sequence to be repeated. Similarly,the loop symbol may cause a series of bits (e.g., four bits) to berepeated. Loop symbol 450 may be a star, rectangle, square, or othersimilar symbol and may be placed at any suitable location within the 2Dsymbology. Multiple loop symbols may be implemented and/or a loop symbolmay be defined to cause multiple loops during decoding. In one example,as illustrated in FIG. 4, loop symbol 450 (e.g., an empty start)indicates that a loop should be performed at the loop symbol 450. Inexamples, multiple loop symbols may be used within the 2D symbology. Theloop starts with a starting loop symbol 452 (e.g., a solid star) thatcoincides with loop symbol 450 (e.g., the empty star). The loop endswith an ending loop symbol 454 (e.g., an empty octagon). In the exampleof FIG. 4, the loop represents data symbols 413, 414, 415, 416 whichrepresent the binary sequence 0001. The loop symbol 450 can be locatedanywhere within the 2D symbology. To invoke the loop, the loop symbol450 finds the starting loop symbol 452 within the 2D symbology and runsthrough the sequence of 0-bits and 1-bits (e.g., data symbols 413-416)until reaching ending loop symbol 454. Upon ending, the decoding resumesat the loop symbol 450.

It should be appreciate that any suitable symbols may be used, and thatthe symbols illustrated in FIG. 4 are merely illustrative one example ofsymbols that may be implemented according to aspects of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 500 for encoding data intwo-dimensional symbology according to examples of the presentdisclosure. The method 500 begins at block 502 and continues to block504.

At block 504, the method includes assigning a first data symbol torepresent a 0-bit and assigning a second data symbol to represent a1-bit. The first data symbol and the second data symbol each comprise aline segment. In examples, the first data symbol representative of a0-bit is an empty circle on a line segment, and the second data symbolrepresentative of a 1-bit is a solid circle on a line segment. In otherexamples, other shapes or symbols may be used, such as a triangle,square, oval, hexagon, etc.

At block 506, the method 500 includes designating a starting indicatorand an ending indicator. The starting indicator may be any suitablesymbol, such as an arrow, a geometric shape, or other suitable symbol.The ending indicator comprises a symbol different from the startingindicator. In an example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, an up arrow may bedesignated as the starting indicator and a down arrow may be designatedas the ending indicator. Other configurations of starting indicators andending indicators may be utilized. Each of the starting indicator andthe ending indicator should be unique within the 2D symbology. That is,each of the starting indicator and the ending indicator should appearonce within the 2D symbology.

In examples, at block 506, the method 500 may also include designating aconnector pair comprising a first connector symbol and a secondconnector symbol. The two connector symbols indicate the ending of onesegment and the start of the next segment. Connector symbols of aconnector pair share a common symbol. For example, a first connectorsymbol, which may be a triangle, indicates the end of one segment and asecond connector symbol, which is the same as the first connectorsymbol, indicates the start of the next segment. Multiple connectorpairs, each comprising two connector symbols, may be designated inexamples.

In some examples of the present disclosure, at block 506, the method 500may also include designating an operational symbol. An operationalsymbol may indicate a logical functions and operations to be performedwhen the binary string is decoded. For example, an operational symbolmay indicate that an XOR operation, an AND operation, a NOR operation,or any other suitable operation is to be performed. Additionally, theoperational symbol may indicate that a mathematical operation, such asaddition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division be performed. Anoperational symbol may be implemented in conjunction with a connectorpair, such that the connector pair indicates an operation to beperformed with respect to the segments before and after the connectorpair.

At block 508, the method 500 includes generating the 2D symbology. The2D symbology comprises a series of data symbols representing a binarystring. The series of data symbols are positioned in an end-to-endorientation such that an end of a line segment of one data symbol joinsan end of a line segment of another data symbol. The series of datasymbols start at the starting indicator and end at the ending indicator.The series of data symbols comprise 0-bit symbols represented by thefirst data symbol and 1-bit symbols represented by the second datasymbol. In examples, the first data symbol representative of a 0-bit isan empty circle on a line segment, and the second data symbolrepresentative of a 1-bit is a solid circle on a line segment. Inaspects of the present disclosure, the data symbols may be other thanempty and solid circles. For example, an empty square may represent a0-bit and a solid square may represent a 1-bit. In another example, anempty triangle may represent a 1-bit and a solid triangle may representa 0-bit.

In aspects of the present disclosure, the data symbols form a continuousline starting with the starting indicator and ending with the endingindicator. In examples, the continuous line is broken into segments thatmay be non-continuous to one another. In examples, none of the datasymbols intersect with any other of the data symbols. In this way, thedata symbols may form a human-recognizable layout, such as a letter,word, phrase, logo, image, symbol, or other human-recognizable layout.

At block 510, the method 500 includes printing the 2D symbology. Inexamples, printing the 2D symbology includes printing the 2D symbologywith a printing device such that the 2D symbology is applied to anarticle (e.g., a piece of paper, a box, packaging materials, etc.). Inother examples, printing the 2D symbology includes displaying the 2Dsymbology on a display device. The method 500 continues to block 512 andterminates.

Additional processes also may be included, and it should be understoodthat the processes depicted in FIG. 5 represent illustrations, and thatother processes may be added or existing processes may be removed,modified, or rearranged without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 600 for decoding data intwo-dimensional symbology according to examples of the presentdisclosure. The method 600 begins at block 602 and continues to block604.

At block 604, the method 600 includes capturing an image of a 2Dsymbology. The 2D symbology comprises a series of data symbolsrepresenting a binary string. In examples, each of the data symbolscomprises a line segment. The series of data symbols are positioned inan end-to-end orientation starting at a starting indicator and ending atan ending indicator. The series of data symbols comprise 0-bit symbolsrepresented by the first data symbol and 1-bit symbols represented bythe second data symbol.

At block 606, the method 600 includes recognizing the starting indicatorand the ending indicator. The method 600 may also include recognizingany operational symbols to apply as appropriate. Various configurationsof starting indicators and ending indicators may be utilized asdescribed herein.

At block 608, the method 600 includes extracting the binary string fromthe 2D symbology by reading each of the data symbols between thestarting indicator and the ending indicator. Data symbols correspondingto a 0-bit are represented by first data symbols and data symbolscorresponding to a 1-bit are second data symbols. In examples, the firstdata symbols corresponding to a 0-bit are empty circles on a linesegment and second data symbols corresponding to a 1-bit are solidcircles on a line segment. In examples, operational functions identifiedby any operational symbols that may be present are applied asappropriate. The method 600 continues to block 610 and terminates.

Additional processes also may be included, and it should be understoodthat the processes depicted in FIG. 6 represent illustrations, and thatother processes may be added or existing processes may be removed,modified, or rearranged without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe present disclosure.

It is understood in advance that the present disclosure is capable ofbeing implemented in conjunction with any other type of computingenvironment now known or later developed. In examples, the presentdisclosure may be implemented on cloud computing.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting forload-balancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure comprising anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 7, illustrative cloud computing environment 50 isillustrated. As shown, cloud computing environment 50 comprises one ormore cloud computing nodes 10 with which local computing devices used bycloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant (PDA)or cellular telephone 54A, desktop computer 54B, laptop computer 54C,and/or automobile computer system 54N may communicate. Nodes 10 maycommunicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown) physicallyor virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private, Community,Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or a combinationthereof. This allows cloud computing environment 50 to offerinfrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which a cloudconsumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 54A-N shownin FIG. 7 are intended to be illustrative only and that computing nodes10 and cloud computing environment 50 can communicate with any type ofcomputerized device over any type of network and/or network addressableconnection (e.g., using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 8, a set of functional abstraction layers providedby cloud computing environment 50 (FIG. 7) is shown. It should beunderstood in advance that the components, layers, and functions shownin FIG. 8 are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments of theinvention are not limited thereto. As illustrated, the following layersand corresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 61; RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 62;servers 63; blade servers 64; storage devices 65; and networks andnetworking components 66. In some embodiments, software componentsinclude network application server software 67 and database software 68.

Virtualization layer 70 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers71; virtual storage 72; virtual networks 73, including virtual privatenetworks; virtual applications and operating systems 74; and virtualclients 75.

In one example, management layer 80 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning 81 provides dynamic procurement ofcomputing resources and other resources that are utilized to performtasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 82provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloudcomputing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may comprise applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal 83 provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management 84provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such thatrequired service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planningand fulfillment 85 provides pre-arrangement for, and procurement of,cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipatedin accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 90 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation 91; software development and lifecycle management 92; virtualclassroom education delivery 93; data analytics processing 94;transaction processing 95; and storage of applications for mobiledevices 96.

The present techniques may be implemented as a system, a method, and/ora computer program product. The computer program product may include acomputer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readableprogram instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry outaspects of the present disclosure.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present disclosure may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some examples, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present disclosure.

Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to aspects of thepresent disclosure. It will be understood that each block of theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations ofblocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can beimplemented by computer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousaspects of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

What is claimed:
 1. A computer-implemented method for encoding data in atwo-dimensional (2D) symbology, the method comprising: assigning a firstdata symbol representative of a 0-bit and a second data symbolrepresentative of a 1-bit, each of the first data symbol and the seconddata symbol comprising a line segment; designating a starting indicatorand an ending indicator; and generating, by a processing device, the 2Dsymbology, the 2D symbology comprising a series of data symbolsrepresenting a binary string, wherein each data symbol in the series ofdata symbols are positioned in an end-to-end orientation starting at thestarting indicator and ending at the ending indicator, and wherein theseries of data symbols comprise 0-bit symbols represented by the firstdata symbol and 1-bit symbols represented by the second data symbol. 2.The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the designatingfurther comprises designating a connector pair comprising a firstconnector symbol and a second connector symbol.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the first connectorsymbol indicates the end of a first segment and the second connectorsymbol indicates the start of a second segment.
 4. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the designating furthercomprises designating additional connector pairs, each of the connectorpairs comprising two connector symbols, wherein the two connectorsymbols are the same.
 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,further comprising printing the 2D symbology.
 6. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the designating furthercomprises designating an operational symbol.
 7. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 6, wherein the 2D symbology forms a human-recognizablelayout.
 8. A system for encoding data in a two-dimensional (2D)symbology, the system comprising: a processor in communication with oneor more types of memory, the processor configured to: assign a firstdata symbol representative of a 0-bit and a second data symbolrepresentative of a 1-bit, each of the first data symbol and the seconddata symbol comprising a line segment, designate a starting indicatorand an ending indicator, and generate the 2D symbology, the 2D symbologycomprising a series of data symbols representing a binary string,wherein each data symbol in the series of data symbols are positioned inan end-to-end orientation starting at the starting indicator and endingat the ending indicator, and wherein the series of data symbols comprise0-bit symbols represented by the first data symbol and 1-bit symbolsrepresented by the second data symbol.
 9. The system of claim 8, whereinthe designating further comprises designating a connector paircomprising a first connector symbol and a second connector symbol. 10.The system of claim 9, wherein the first connector symbol indicates theend of a first segment and the second connector symbol indicates thestart of a second segment.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein thedesignating further comprises designating additional connector pairs,each of the connector pairs comprising two connector symbols, whereinthe two connector symbols are the same.
 12. The system of claim 8,wherein the processor is further configured to print the 2D symbology.13. The system of claim 8, wherein the designating further comprisesdesignating an operational symbol.
 14. The system of claim 13, whereinthe 2D symbology forms a human-recognizable layout.
 15. A computerprogram product for encoding data in a two-dimensional (2D) symbology,the computer program product comprising: a non-transitory storage mediumreadable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for executionby the processing circuit for performing a method comprising: assigninga first data symbol representative of a 0-bit and a second data symbolrepresentative of a 1-bit, each of the first data symbol and the seconddata symbol comprising a line segment, designating a starting indicatorand an ending indicator, and generating the 2D symbology, the 2Dsymbology comprising a series of data symbols representing a binarystring, wherein each data symbol in the series of data symbols arepositioned in an end-to-end orientation starting at the startingindicator and ending at the ending indicator, and wherein the series ofdata symbols comprise 0-bit symbols represented by the first data symboland 1-bit symbols represented by the second data symbol.
 16. Thecomputer program product of claim 15, wherein the designating furthercomprises designating a connector pair comprising a first connectorsymbol and a second connector symbol.
 17. The computer program productof claim 16, wherein the first connector symbol indicates the end of afirst segment and the second connector symbol indicates the start of asecond segment.
 18. The computer program product of claim 16, whereinthe designating further comprises designating additional connectorpairs, each of the connector pairs comprising two connector symbols,wherein the two connector symbols are the same.